STUDY OF RURAL HOUSING IN MAMBA
DISTRICT KILIMANJARO, TANZANIA
Jenny Mattsson
EXAMENSARBETE 2009
Postadress: Besöksadress: Telefon:
Box 1026 Gjuterigatan 5 036-10 10 00 (vx)
551 11 Jönköping
STUDY OF RURAL HOUSING IN MAMBA
DISTRICT KILIMANJARO, TANZANIA
STUDIE AV BOSTADSBYGGANDE PÅ LANDSBYGDEN
I DISTRIKTET MAMBA KILIMANJARO, TANZANIA
Jenny Mattsson
This thesis project is written at the School of Engineering Jönköping University in the field of building technology. The work is the final part of the three-year programme Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering. The author is responsible for expressed views, conclusions and results.
Supervisor:Bernth Jirvén
Credit points: 15 ECTS (C-level) Date: 09-06-02
Preface
This study has been carried out with support from SIDA (Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency) and the Minor Field Study scholarship.
Anita and Reines Rydell made it possible for me to accomplish the study by taking me as their guest. They made my stay in Tanzania a memory for life.
Reines has made a great work as my supervisor on site and generously shared his knowledge and experiences.
Bernth Jirvén has been my supportive supervisor at School of Engineering, Jönköping University.
I would like to thank above mentioned persons for their engagement and participation in this study.
Jönköping June 2, 2009 Jenny Mattsson
1
Abstract in Swedish
Som ett av de fattigaste länderna i världen står Tanzania inför en ekonomisk problematik som inte minst påverkar bostadssituationen i landet. Bostäderna är undermåliga i hela landet, särskilt på landsbygden, där den största delen av befolkningen bor i lerhus.
Rapporten är inriktad på moderna hus och syftar till att hitta hållbara billiga lösningar som ska kunna användas som alternativ till befintliga konstruktionsmetoder och utformningslösningar.
Studien baseras på en fältstudie i Mambadistriktet Kilimanjaro i Tanzania under 8 veckor under 2009.
De traditionella lerhusen är mycket dåliga och lever inte upp till en god
levnadsstandard. Levnadsvillkoren är mycket primitiva i dessa hus och utgör en hälsorisk för de boende. Moderna hus ger en bättre levnadsstandard och är en bra investering för framtida generationer. Utformning och teknik kan effektiviseras och förbättras och byggkostnaderna kan minskas genom alternativa byggnadsmetoder. Byggkostnader kan minskas på flera sätt. Fokus bör ligga på att använda lokala material för att minimera dyra transportkostnader. Betong är det enskilt dyraste byggnadsmaterialet och bör i största möjliga mån ersättas med andra material. Det är dock viktigt att hållbarheten i konstruktionen inte försämras. På lång sikt lönar det sig att investera i hållbara konstruktioner, även om byggkostnaderna blir högre.
Denna studie har resulterat i flera hållbara lågkostnadsalternativ, till den nuvarande byggnadstekniken, som lokala husbyggare med fördel kan använda i byggnationer. Traditionen är stark i Tanzania och förändringar kan ta lång tid att genomföra, men de förändringar som föreslås och diskuteras i denna rapport kan ses som en god grund för att inleda en utveckling av den nuvarande byggnadsutformningen och
2
Abstract
As one of the poorest countries in the world, Tanzania faces various kinds of
problems. The housing situation is poor in the whole country, especially in rural areas where the main part of the population lives in mud houses.
The report is focused on modern houses and is aimed at finding sustainable low cost solutions to be used as alternatives for existing techniques.
The report is based on a field study in the Mamba district, Tanzania during 8 weeks in 2009.
The traditional mud houses are poor and do not live up to a decent standard of living. The living conditions are extremely primitive in these houses and pose a health risk to the occupants. Modern houses provide a better standard of living and are good
investments for future generations. The building design and technology can be rationalised and improved and building costs can be reduced through alternative methods.
There are several ways in which building costs can be reduced. Focus should be on using local materials to minimise expensive transport costs. Cement is the single most expensive building material and should be replaced by other materials where possible. However, it is important that sustainability of the construction is not impaired. In the long term, it is better to invest in proper sustainable building structures even if the costs will increase.
This study has resulted in sustainable low cost alternatives to the current building technology that the local builders can benefit from. Tradition is strong in Tanzania and changes may take long to implement. The alterations suggested and discussed in this report can be considered as a good basis for development of the current building design and technology in the Mamba district.
Key Words
Building Design, Building Material, Building Technology, Low Cost Solutions, The Mamba district, Modern Housing, Sustainable Solutions, Tanzania, Traditional Housing.
3
Table of Contents
1
Introduction ... 5
1.1 BACKGROUND... 5 1.2 AIM OF THE REPORT... 5 1.3 LIMITATIONS... 6 1.4 OUTLINE... 6 1.5 METHODS... 61.5.1 Observations and Interviews ... 6
1.5.2 Literature and Other Sources of Information ... 7
2
An Overview of Tanzania ... 8
2.1 GEOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE... 8
2.2 PEOPLE AND SOCIAL CONDITIONS... 9
2.3 POLITICS AND ECONOMICS... 9
3
Mamba District and the Chagga People ... 11
4
Today's Architecture and Technology... 12
4.1 HOUSING SITUATION IN TANZANIA... 12
4.1.1 Urban and Rural Areas ... 12
4.1.2 Geographical Variations ... 13
4.1.3 Legislation ... 13
4.1.4 Building Institutions... 13
4.2 TRADITIONAL MUD HOUSES IN THE MAMBA DISTRICT... 14
4.2.1 Introduction ... 14
4.2.2 The Beehive Formed House... 14
4.2.3 Mud Houses of Today ... 15
4.2.4 A Poor Way of Living ... 16
4.3 MODERN HOUSES IN THE MAMBA DISTRICT... 17
4.3.1 Introduction ... 17
4.3.2 Settlements ... 17
4.3.3 Comparison to Traditional Houses... 17
4.3.4 Main Building ... 18
4.3.5 Additional Buildings ... 22
4.3.6 Economical Aspects ... 23
5
Houses for the Future ... 24
5.1 THE IMPACT OF TRADITIONS... 24
5.2 ALTERNATIVE BUILDING SOLUTIONS... 24
5.2.1 Plan Arrangements ... 25
5.2.2 Local Materials... 25
5.2.3 Foundation... 26
5.2.4 Wall Structure... 27
5.2.5 Mortar and Concrete ... 27
5.2.6 Roof Construction... 28
5.2.7 Interior Walls... 29
5.3 CALCULATIONS AND DRAWINGS... 30
6
Conclusion... 31
7
Bibliography ... 32
4
5
1 Introduction
1.1 Background
Tanzania is one of the world's poorest countries and the vast majority of the
population lives in great poverty. The country is facing economic problems and not least it is affecting the housing in the country.
Issues such as poor economic growth, debts and corruption make the country’s industrial development very slow. Building technology is not evolving significantly and has been invariant for many years.
In rural areas, people are living in mud houses under primitive conditions. The
primary functions of a building, protection against external elements, are not adequate in the traditional mud houses. They are in many ways insufficient as residence and unhealthy to live in.
The economic conditions for people in rural areas means that the prospects of building modern houses are very limited. Despite this, most people share a dream of building a modern house of natural stone or stone blocks and get a decent residence. Inexpensive and sustainable design solutions are required to give as many people as possible a chance to build a modern house.
The work Reines Rydell, supervisor for this study in Tanzania, is conducting in the region, forms the basis for this study.
This report is a study of contemporary building techniques of Tanzania in general and Mamba district in the Kilimanjaro region in particular. Existing building techniques and the housing situation in Mamba district are analysed and evaluated. The report describes the surrounding factors that directly or indirectly have an impact on the building design and construction work. Questions being asked are: How are single-family houses built in Mamba district? How can modern houses be constructed cheaper? How can the building technology be more sustainable?
1.2 Aim of the Report
The purpose of the field studies is to increase understanding of a developing country and its building design and technology.
A detailed presentation of the Tanzania and the Mamba district is made with a view to improving the overall picture and better understand different processes in society related to housing.
The report aims to compile and describe traditional and modern housing reflecting on different aspects of the house types. The main focus is to find sustainable low cost solutions for modern houses to be used as alternatives for existing building
6
1.3 Limitations
The report focuses on finding solutions to modern houses exclusively of two main reasons and the choice has been made to limit the scope of the report;
• Mud houses can be improved to some extent but the standard is considered to be poor in spite of major enhancements.
• The vast majority seeks to build a modern house and there is a minimal demand for an improved mud house technology.
The ecological aspect is not considered because of the fact that negative effects on the environment are minimal in this district. The majority of the population of the Mamba district has for instance no electricity or vehicles affecting the environment
negatively.
The rationalisations suggested in this report are only a selection of possible ones and there is room for further studies in the matter.
1.4 Outline
The structure and disposition follows a given layout for theses at C level for School of Engineering, Jönköping University.
Three main parts form the report; initial part, report part and final part.
The initial part includes two title pages, preface, abstracts in Swedish and English, key words and table of contents.
The report part is divided into four sub parts. Initially there is an introduction with background, aim of the report, limitations, outline and methods. The second part is a theoretical framework with texts about Tanzania and Mamba district and about housing and building design and technology in the country and in the topical district. The theoretical part is followed by the result with analysis and proposals regarding modern houses in Mamba district. A conclusion finalises the report part.
References and appendices constitute the final part of the report.
1.5 Methods
1.5.1 Observations and Interviews
To gain information to this report, a field study has been conducted in Tanzania, during 8 weeks in February and March 2009. The major part of the report is based on observations made and interviews performed during the field study. Spontaneous conversations are part of the observations.
7
In order to answer questions posed in this report an empirical study is conducted in the topical district. Swedish missionaries, Anita and Reines Rydell, have been hosts in Tanzania. They are living in the Mamba district on the slopes of Kilimanjaro, in a village called Kokirie. They have many years of experience from social and construction work in the district.
Reines Rydell has been supervisor on site for this study. He has lived and worked in Tanzania for almost 25 years and has been involved in various kinds of projects through the years. Reines has great knowledge and experience in conducting building projects and is academically trained to a mechanical engineer. His focus is primarily on missionary work for the Pentecostal Church but a major part of his daily work involves building projects.
Continuous discussions on the issues related to this study has been carried out with Reines and he has been answering questions and concerns that emerged while work was proceeding. This is supplemented by an interview with Reines, carried out in March 2009, where he shares his own experiences and local and technical knowledge. The second interview is with Walter Mmbando, gardener and supervisor for Reines employees. He is born and lives in the village Kokirie in the Mamba district. Walter is relevant as a source of information thanks to his local knowledge and experience from building his own house. Walter speaks good English which has made it possible to conduct the interview without an interpreter. This might otherwise be a source of errors.
Interviews are conducted on two occasions in March 2009 and can be found in the end of this report as appendices 1 and 2.
For the information gained on site the applicability is evaluated. It is important to count with the risk of inaccuracy and partiality.
1.5.2 Literature and Other Sources of Information
A literature review has been made mainly including literature on Tanzania, Kilimanjaro and the local tribe, Chagga. Literature on the Mamba district is
practically non-existent which means that interviews and discussions are main sources on this information. Furthermore literature is used for the theoretical framework. A visit to the Chagga Live Museum has provided additional information on the Chagga people and local history.
Internet has been an important source on seeking information. Among other sources, statistical data from the Human Development Report Office (UNDP), UN's global development network, is used.
8
2 An Overview of Tanzania
2.1 Geography and Climate
The United Republic of Tanzania is East Africa’s biggest country with its 943,000 sq km, which makes the country more than twice as big as Sweden. Tanzania is situated just south of the equator, bordering eight countries in total. To the east is the Indian Ocean. [1]
The landscape consists mainly of plateau landscapes, steppes, forests, tropical rain forests, mountains, lakes and savannas. Along the coasts are tourist beaches and coral reefs. [2]
Tanzania’s Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in Africa 5895 meters above sea level, and one of the country’s most famous attractions. Large mountain ranges such as the Nguru and Usambara are found in eastern parts of the country. The Great Rift Valley runs through Tanzania and beyond it is the Crater Highlands. Lake Victoria is part of Tanzania such as Lake Tanganyika - the world's second deepest lake with a depth of 1400 m. Animal life and vegetation in Tanzania is rich. The tropical rainforests keep about one-third of the country’s plant and bird range. [2]
The Climate is tropical on the islands outside the mainland and on the coastline. In the midland the climate is temperate. Due to the varied topography, the weather can fluctuate unpredictably. The two seasonal winds of the Indian Ocean control rains and drought. The year has two rainy periods which vary in length depending on location. During the spring the long rainy season appears and during our summer months, the country has a long dry period of several months. By the coast the average temperature is about 30°C but at higher altitudes the temperatures are lower. [1]
9
2.2 People and Social Conditions
The population in Tanzania is 37,6 million and the population density is 40 inhabitants per sq km. Dodoma is the capital but the most populous city is Dar es-Salaam.
Furthermore people are settled primarily around Kilimanjaro, along the coast and by larger lakes in cities such as Arusha, Iringa and Mwanza. [2]
The standard of living varies greatly in Tanzania. The amount of people living below the poverty line is today 50%. These people feed on under a dollar per day, which is a poverty indicator based on consumption or income per person including own
production. [3]
Two-thirds of the population are dependent on agriculture for their survival. These are often small and unprofitable plantations, at best, sufficient for self-catering. Even people in cities rent a plot for farming if they have no paid work. [3]
Diseases such as HIV and malaria make the situation even more difficult for people and it is hard for people to defend themselves against the diseases. In total 6,2% of the population are infected with the HIV. [4]
There are 130 different tribes in Tanzania and the most famous of these is the Maasai. Although Tanzania holds such a large amount of ethnic groups there is hardly no strife between them. Nor is it common with strife between the country's Christians and Muslims. Christians constitute about 50% of the population and Muslims about one-third. The old African beliefs still remain, even among many Christians and Muslims. [1]
The official language is Swahili. English is spoken mainly in commerce and higher education. In the rural areas, few people speak English. There are numerous local languages related to the different tribes. [1]
Inequality between men and women is still big but the situation is slowly improving. Only about 5% of women complete secondary school. If the family can afford to send children to secondary, priority is mostly given to boys. Women do not have the same legal rights to inheritance and property as men, and polygamy is still common. [2] The family and the village community is very important in Tanzania. It is expected to always support the big family, including relatives, in every way. Those who make money will be fain to provide money for cost of weddings, doctors’ appointments and travel, although they may not even afford to feed the immediate family.
2.3 Politics and Economics
After the First World War Great Britain took over Tanganyika from Germany. In 1964 Tanganyika, which was the name of the Tanzanian mainland before the independence from Great Britain in 1962, and Zanzibar united into United Republic of Tanzania. The nation developed positively until an economic downturn in the
10
1970s. Severe droughts and quick social changes were major reasons to this. In recent years there has been a positive democratic development with multi-party elections since 1995. But still today the country suffers from a lot of corruption. [1]
Tanzania is one of the world's poorest nations and for most people life is a struggle to survive. Tanzania is in the bottom ten percent of the world's economies in terms of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which shows the per capita income [5]. According a report from UNDP [4] referring to 2005, Tanzania has a 156nd place of 177 countries for an estimated Human Development Index (HDI) value of 0,467. The HDI value gives a picture of prosperity in the country and take into account both GDP and welfare parameters such as life expectancy, education and literacy rate [4].
The base of the economy is agriculture. Since a large proportion of the population depends on agriculture and therefore also of unreliable rains and droughts. [2] Tanzania is rich in natural resources such as gold, diamonds and natural gas. The country is dependent on loans and aid from other countries. Tourism is one of the most important industries and in 2006 the U.S. gave $800 million in revenue. [1] The country is dependent on loans and aid from other countries. Swedish government agency SIDA has provided financial support to Tanzania for 45 years. [6]
Tanzania has in recent years made great efforts to reduce poverty and to become less reliant on international aid. Implemented measures have prevented the inflation and contributed to economic growth but not to a sufficient degree. [6]
11
3 Mamba District and the Chagga People
Volcano Mount Kilimanjaro has two main peaks, Kibo (5 895 m) and Mawenzi (5 149 m). It is situated in the northern part of Tanzania and borders to Kenya. [7] The Mamba district, with approximately 8 000 households, is situated on the south-eastern slopes of Kilimanjaro around 1 500-1 700 meters above sea level. The vast majority of the Chagga people in the topical district are farmers and live of their own crops and cattle.
The district is divided into villages and furthermore into plots. A tradition is that a father’s land is divided between his sons. This way of dividing the land results in a situation where many families do not have a sufficiently large plot to survive. Many people have to work for someone else or leave the family and look for work in a city to be able to provide for the family if they have no education.
The plots consist of arable land, banana plants, trees and houses. The plot boundaries are not visually seconded with fences or similar but banana plants around the
settlements are providing a private character.
The land is fertile thanks to the consistence of volcanic ash in the soil and the amount of rain falling in the region. The cool climate on the slopes of Kilimanjaro depends on the high altitudes and is considered agreeable. The vegetation is dense from different kinds of plants. The most common trees are eucalyptus, avocado, gravelia and cypress. The main crops are bananas, maize and beans, which is also the basic foods. [7]
The people of Mamba belongs to the Chagga tribe. It is estimated that the Chagga people have been living on Kilimanjaro for 250 to 400 years. The local language is Chagga but Swahili is the more common used. In 1848 the Chagga people was divided into 100 political units, each with one chief . The chiefs were often cruel and dominant and there are many tales
circulating today about this Figure 3: Kibo Peak from Viewpoint in the Mamba District
time. Up to the mid 20th century the number of clan leaders was reduced little by little and in 1961 Tanganyika had its first president. [7] [8]
12
4 Today's Architecture and Technology
4.1 Housing situation in Tanzania
Tanzania has a high rate of poverty and the housing conditions are poor throughout the country. There are major differences in living conditions between rich and poor in the country. The wealthy part of the Tanzanians lives primarily in Dar es-Salaam. [9]
4.1.1 Urban and Rural Areas
Tanzania is experiencing rapid urban growth. In larger cities such as Dar es-Salaam, Dodoma and Arusha there are plenty of people who can afford to finance a house or have access to bank loans. In rural areas, the economical difficulties result in a situation where the vast majority are living in mud houses or similar still in the 21th century. [3]
In urban areas most people have a paid work and rent a room or two for the family. The houses are one storey high and are built in stone blocks. Several houses are set in a square with a shared inner courtyard for cooking and washing. Usually there is an electricity and a water supply in connection with the building. The settlements are often overcrowded and the living conditions unhealthy.
In rural areas most houses are made from poles and mud or mud blocks. The vast majority of the houses are squared but there are still circular ones as well. Some houses are made of stone or burned bricks, as illustrated in figure 4, depending on the location geographically. Straw constructions are most common for roofs.
Figure 4: Bricks in Mwanza, North-eastern Tanzania
13
4.1.2 Geographical Variations
There are a multitude of local variations of the houses and the building material use is determined by local resources. Local traditions also play an important part and affect the building design and technology.
Large differences in altitudes within the country affect the climate. Various climates and vegetations means different needs in terms of protection from heat, cold, wind, rain.
At low altitudes where the weather is extremely hot people are trying to keep the heat out of the houses and protect themselves against the sun. Mud is used on the roofs for its cooling effect. Depending on location different building materials are common to use for building houses. Climate, vegetation and local supply have an impact on the choice of building materials. In the coastal areas houses are built of coral stones and the roofs are covered by palm leafs. [10]
At higher altitudes, vegetation is richer providing building timber and shadow on hot days. The summer months can be quite cold in these areas and the temperature may reach 10ºC, why the houses are built to let the heat in rather than keeping it out. [10]
4.1.3 Legislation
In urban areas a builder must apply for a permit to build from the governmental building committee. A permission is not required in rural areas of Tanzania. Common for both urban and rural areas is that the government owns all land but not buildings, trees and plants. This can be likened to the Swedish site-leasehold right where the municipality owns the ground and the property owner only owns the buildings [11].
4.1.4 Building Institutions
Two major building governmental institutions affecting the housing situation in rural areas in Tanzania are described below.
4.1.4.1 National Construction Council
National Construction Council (NCC) is a government department and one of the major public authorities regarding construction. NCC is working towards a development in the local construction industry. Among other things they are promoting use of local building materials and new technologies. [12]
4.1.4.2 National Housing and Building Research Agency
An institution working under the government towards a better housing situation in Tanzania is the National Housing and Building Research Agency (NHBRA). They are focusing on dealing with high building material costs to find affordable solutions with focus on rural areas. [13]
14
4.2 Traditional Mud Houses in the Mamba District
4.2.1 Introduction
The following texts are based on observations and interviews carried out on site. Through Reines many contacts in the district, there has been an opportunity to socialise with residents in the Mamba district in their everyday lives. Spontaneous conversations with people have given insight into how people live and think. Many of the villagers are either to build houses or have done it earlier, which has been of great importance for observations in field.
In the interview Reines is sharing his ideas and experiences which is of great importance for the study. Main contents of the interview can be summarised in four point:
• Reines background in Tanzania and his present work
• How the building process and the financing of building projects is carried out • Modern houses compared to traditional mud houses
• The impact of traditions.
The interview with Walter focuses on his experience from building his own house. The following topics are among others included in the interview:
• His background and present situation • Traditional mud houses
• Financing of the building • Construction process • Plan arrangements
4.2.2 The Beehive Formed House
An old traditional Chagga house is shown in figure 5. These houses are built in a round formed as a beehive and they have no windows. The houses are made of wood and covered with grass. Poles are dug into the ground and between those branches are attached on both sides and constitutes the wall skeleton. Straws are bent around the branches until a thickness of about 20 centimetres is reached. Traditionally, one half of the house is used for cattle and cooking and the other half for sleeping. The cooking is made in the centre of the house on three stones.
15
This mud house construction is no longer built and replaced by another type of mud house. Though, old Chagga houses can be found throughout the district, today used
for kitchen and livestock keeping.
4.2.3 Mud Houses of Today
In the Mamba district few people live in other types of houses than mud houses. There is no production of clay blocks or bricks. Compared to the old Chagga houses the design of today’s mud houses are different in some ways. A typical settlement is shown in figure 6.
The beehive form Figure 6: Traditional Mud House Settlement of Today
is replaced by a square or round form with walls and roof separated. Mud is used instead of straws for the walls and in most houses there are windows. Still in these houses the no floor-cover is added and people live directly on the natural ground.
Initially poles are dug about 0,3 meters into the ground vertically as shown in figure 7. Then branches are attached horizontally between the poles on both sides. For cheapest solution wood from theeucalyptus tree is used. It is the most common tree in Mamba district and grows in almost every plot. Eucalyptus is generally a luxurious alternative in other parts of Tanzania.
The void between the branches is filled up with mud or stones. The Figure 7: Mud House Under Construction walls are plastered with mud on both sides to make them dense and resistant to weather and wind. The mud is made by soil from the ground which is dug out on site and mixed with water on the ground.
16
Eventually the roof is constructed. The vertical poles differ in height to create a roof slope. Poles are placed on the slope to hold the roof layer. The poles reach about 60 centimetres outside walls to protect the external walls and to create a covered outdoor space. In the Mamba district corrugated sheet
metal is most common as roof covering. If the family cannot afford sheets a plastic cover or straws are used.
Windows and doors are formed in an early stage by using poles to form frames. Branches may be used as a grid as illustrated in figure 8. Boards function as doors and shutters. In some cases, only a piece of clothing is used for this purpose. The kitchen consists of three
stones to place the kettle on. Figure 9 shows a Figure 8: Typical Window Construction typical kitchen.
Some mud houses are reinforced by small rocks around on the ground around it to prevent pests to enter the house. Moreover there is no special foundation construction. The soil is serving as floor.
The kitchen is positioned either inside the house next to the sleeping area or in a separate store. The cattle is almost always put in a separate space. Outside the house is a latrine, which is constructed as a deep pit in the ground covered with wooden
boards. The latrine is connected to a large
underground tank which is emptied every 10-20
ee Figure 9: Traditional Kitchen years.
4.2.4 A Poor Way of Living
The traditional way of building is very poor and the living conditions are extremely primitive in these houses and pose a serious health risk to the occupants. Leaking houses and little protection against pests are two reasons the houses are health hazards.
Most rural houses require significant maintenance and they only last for about ten years. After this time the wood is rotten and might be attacked by termites,
depending on which tree is used for the construction.
17
The termite is an insect which is very common in tropical areas. They feed on mostly dead plant material such as trees used in construction [14]. If cypress is used for the structure termites have made the construction unstable. Young eucalyptus trees are more prone to rot than heartwood. When the wood is extensively unstable the house may fall apart.
People living in mud houses are exposed to the climate due to leaks in walls and roof. This leads to diseases such as pneumonia.
The rain affects mainly the lower parts of the house. The rain bounces to the ground, removes mud and damages the wood. The mud also naturally dries and falls off with time. Rats and other pests are common in mud houses and may enter through
loopholes in the walls and other openings.
Further aspects of problems regarding mud houses is related to the smoke from the
open fireplace. The smoke is unpleasant and may cause diseases. In spite of the negative aspects of mud houses, many elderly do not consider any other
house type than the traditional mud houses. The younger generation are more open to modern housing solutions.
4.3 Modern Houses in the Mamba District
4.3.1 Introduction
The following texts are based on observations and interviews carried out on site (see 4.2.1 for further details).
4.3.2 Settlements
Modern settlements include a main building and additional buildings on the land piece. The main building is built of natural stone or stone blocks. Kitchen, livestock keeping and latrine are held in the separate buildings, and commonly made of wood or mud.
4.3.3 Comparison to Traditional Houses
Modern houses provide a better shelter than mud houses. Very little maintenance is needed and the houses last for many generations and up to 100 years if the
construction is made properly. Pests cannot very easily enter the house and people are, to a greater extent, protected from illnesses related to both pests and the climate. In summary, it is a very good long term investment, both financially and for health.
18
Figure 11: Modern Block House
4.3.4 Main Building
The design of the main building is simple and the variations are small. The building is square or rectangular formed and has a pitched roof. Figure 11 shows a typical modern houses in the Mamba district.
4.3.4.1 Plan Arrangement
Plan arrangements usually follow a certain model. It is customary to arrange the rooms as seen in figure 11 and appendix 3.1 with separate rooms for girls and boys. This creates a corridor between the bedrooms, leading out to the outdoor kitchen, which is commonly located on that side of the house. In this way the kitchen is separated
from the porch and the corridor functions as Figure 12: Modern Block House Plan
19
4.3.4.2 Foundation
The foundation construction is illustrated figure 13 and appendix 3.3. Natural stone mixed with mud constitutes the foundation. It is reinforced with larger stones, dug about 0,5 meters into the ground, by the edges. A thin iron reinforced concrete plate is cast on top of the enhanced edges and constitutes the base for the masonry. Pipes are cast in the stone foundation to drain the damp from the soil. The ground around the buildings are not prepared for water run-off.
The foundation is finished with two layers of concrete to create the floor surface; one thicker weak mix and one thinner of just cement and water with no sand added.
Figure 13: Modern Block House Foundation
4.3.4.3 Wall Structure
The walls are build on top of the concrete plate and attached with cement mortar. Natural stone or stone blocks are used for the masonry.
There is two different types of stone blocks used in the district; holili and ushira. Both are lava stones, extracted from large quarries not far from the Mamba district.
Holili is the most common type Figure 14: Quarry Near the Mamba District used in most buildings in the
20
There are large deposits of the block close to the Mamba district. One of them shown in figure 14 on the previous page. The blocks are being extracted and cut by hand by villagers.
The holili block is shown in the building under construction in figure 15. The block absorbs heat, which means that a house built of this stone retains the heat it is exposed to. These properties are well suited to the
comparatively cool climate conditions in Mamba. Especially during the summer months when the temperature may go down to 10ºC at night, it is desirable to have a house of this kind of
stone to be warm at night. Figure 15: Holili Block House Under Construction
Ushira blocks are like the holili blocks a volcano stone and a bit less expensive. It is extracted from large quarries in the areas Ushira and around Moshi not far from the Mamba district. In contrast to holili, ushira blocks shut the heat out and give a relatively chilly indoor climate. The block is therefore suitable where a cool indoor climate is desirable. It is used only to some extent in the district.
Both block types require transport since they are not extracted in the Mamba district, which is costly.
Natural stone is a different building material used widely in the district. The
advantages of this stone are many. It's free because it can be extracted directly from soil most often from the builder’s own site. Most commonly it is used in its natural form but they can also manually be chopped into blocks. It has the same heat absorbing properties as the holili block.
Concrete blocks are by far the most expensive building material and are rarely used in constructions in the Mamba district. It consists of cement, sand and water. The cost of the material is three times the price of holili or ushira blocks. However, there is no or small transport costs since the components can all be found in the district. Preferably they are manufactured on site.
A round-reaching beam of reinforced concrete is constructed above the upper edge of windows and doors to strengthen the wall construction. It is visible in figure 15 above. Above this beam two block units in height are added before the roof is constructed. This is a traditional way to make the house cool.
Some of the modern houses are plastered with cement and painted with oil and water based colours.
21
4.3.4.4 Mortar
Cement is used in mortar in the production of stone and block walls. The mortar is made of cement, sand and water and mixed directly on the ground as shown in figure 16. Among local builders the mortar is often mixed with a small amount of cement, 1:8 in order to save costs of cement and add a large amount of sand. Sand is collected in Holili (where the holili blocks are extracted) and cannot be found locally in the Mamba district. In spite of transport costs – sand is cheaper to purchase than cement. The cement mortar is necessary for sustainable walls and the only satisfactory alternative.
4.3.4.5 Roof
The pitched roof is standard for modern
houses. A typical roof structure is illustrated in Figure 16: Concrete Mixing figure 17 below and in appendix 3.2. Figure 18 shows a roof structure of poor quality.
Eucalyptus, gravelia and cypress are common woods used for roof trusses and are found locally in the Mamba district. The structure is simple with rafters and a tie-beam. Single struts are supporting the framework. Nodes are connected by pieces of wood and nailed in place (see appendix 3.2 section A – A). Splines are laid on the wooden roof structure to enable attachment of the corrugated sheet metal. The roof-ridge is covered by sheet to prevent water leakage through the joint.
Figure 17: Typical Roof Structure Figure 18: Poor Roof Construction
4.3.4.6 Supplementary
Interior walls are constructed of stone in the same manner as the exterior walls. On the inside, the walls are plastered with cement mortar. This action claims that the inner surface is made even with a pangas, a large knife, since the blocks vary in size.
22
Porches are often constructed of concrete pillars and beams. They are not used for social intercourse, as we are used to in Sweden, but are important visual expressions. This means that people strive for a nice design and an ostensibly expensive
construction. Concrete is regarded a luxurious and is used as much as possible to improve the visual expression of the porch. In spite of the pillars’ load-bearing functions, a concrete mix of one part cement and 8 parts of sand is used locally. At the bricklaying of the walls voids for windows and doors are made. Eucalyptus is usually used as shutters and doors and to frame windows and doors. Window
openings are also provided with a grid for security reasons. A step further, which is not always a priority, because of additional expenses, is to add mosquito nets and glass to the windows.
Very few houses have electricity or running water supply and there is no special arrangement for ventilation. The houses rarely have a system for roof drainage.
4.3.5 Additional Buildings
4.3.5.1 Latrine
A small house on the plot serves as toilet. The floor is made of
concrete with an opening over a pit. Connected to the pit is a large tank, sometimes covering several latrines, which is emptied every 10-15 years. Some people choose to build an indoor water toilet, but most commonly an outdoor latrine
is built. Possibly also a simple shower room. Figure 19 shows a Figure 19:
Combined Toilet and Shower Room toilet and shower room under
construction.
4.3.5.2 Kitchen and Livestock Keeping
When a modern house is built the former mud house is converted into kitchen and livestock keeping. In some cases, a kitchen is built out of stone or bricks. The traditional three-stone kitchen is used by people living in modern houses as well. An option used by some people is a small charcoal stove. The cattle is kept in the kitchen or in separate wood houses. The cow in figure 20 is kept in a combined storage of livestock and kitchen.
23
4.3.6 Economical Aspects
The current situation with the financial crisis hits poor countries hardest according to reports from the World Bank. Rising prices affect poor people most severely and lowers living standards further. The Tanzanian shilling has weakened against the dollar, which means a further rise in prices. [15]
The opportunity to build a modern house is, for people in rural areas, very limited. To have a chance to save money for a house a builder is required to have a paid work besides agriculture and to have no family to supply. In most cases, the builders are dependent on external aid, either from a rich relative or from other financial
supporters. Bank loans are not available for someone without capital. People living in poverty have no access to any bank and insurance services.
Education is a chance to, in the long term, be able to afford a modern house. However, secondary school, for young people between 15 and 20 years, is very expensive and many farmers cannot afford to put their children in school at this level. Since people living in poverty have less access to education and thus knowledge than rich people, their ability to build good houses is further limited.
A normal sized modern house costs about SEK 20 000, including costs of materials and labour, but also requires that the builder does most of the work, except
bricklaying, himself. This can be contrasted to a carpenter’s monthly salary of about SEK 500 per month. In practice, money is spent on the cost of living since people are already struggling to survive on their salaries.
24
5 Houses for the Future
5.1 The Impact of Traditions
The tradition is very strong in Tanzania and has a central role in people's lives. It shows in builders’ ways of planning houses as it has the effect that the houses are built according to a standard solution with relatively small variations. Awareness of the importance of traditions makes it easier to understand why Tanzanians build in a certain way.
In poor areas, like the Mamba district, access to information is limited due to the lack of access to television and newspapers. People are travelling very little and get very few influences from outside their region. These aspects make the construction
progress very slow. Construction solutions and ideas considered reasonable for us can be both incomprehensible and uninteresting for builders in the Mamba district. It is important to be clear on this issue when discussing development ideas. It may actually be a long process to implement a change.
Problems for local builders occur when the technical solutions that are good in the long run cost more than a more short-term solution. People struggling to get food for the day are planning out of a short term perspective, why the long-term way of thinking can be difficult to identify with.
5.2 Alternative Building Solutions
An active and balanced choice of building design and technology can hold down costs and improve life – the two parameters that are most important when building in the Mamba district. There are several ways in which building costs can be reduced. However, it is important that sustainability is not impaired. In the long term, it is better to invest in proper sustainable building structures even if the costs will increase. Since cement is the most expensive building component focus should be on replacing cement with other material where possible and on finding solutions where cement is used as little as possible.
25
5.2.1 Plan Arrangements
By reducing the number of walls in a house space is optimised and material costs are saved. Appendices 4.1.1 and 4.1.2 demonstrate an alternative plan arrangement for a modern house, where unused spaces are reduced to a minimum. Figure 21 demonstrates the smaller of the two suggested plans, adapted to a family with two children. The illustrated plans shown in the appendices are for families with four and six members and suitable for average families in the Mamba
district. The living area is reduced to save on costs for building materials but are
spacious enough for the intended number Figure 21: Plan Suggestion of residents. The kitchen is positioned
where the distance between the house and the kitchen is reasonable and not in direct connection to the porch.
5.2.2 Local Materials
An effective way to save on construction costs is to use as much local materials as possible, as transportation costs will thereby be minimised. Corrugated sheet metal, reinforcement iron and wood can also be purchased locally in the district. Sand and blocks are components which cannot be found locally.
Since natural stone , shown in figure 22, is free or very cheap to get hold of in the district, it is desirable to make maximum use of this in constructions. However, it is common to use holili blocks since this is considered better-quality and easier to manage for the mason. The cost of holili blocks amounts to approximately SEK 5000 which is about one-fourth to one-fifth of the total building cost.
Transportation costs are included to the Figure 22: Natural Stone estimated cost. Natural stone has as good heat absorbing properties as holili blocks but represents a significant cost
26
therefore preferable in terms of costs and is comparable holili blocks in terms of durability and heat absorbing properties.
5.2.3 Foundation
The foundation can be improved to make it more sustainable and to make the water drainage more efficient. The changes suggested below will mean slightly higher costs but will pay off in the long term because of its sustainability. Concrete is rarely used among local builders for this purpose but is a good alternative to the existing mix with natural stone and mud. Figure 23 and appendix 4.3 show an alternative foundation solution. Reinforced concrete is dug into the ground and is a mixture of with cement (1 part), sand (3 parts) and course macadam or lava dust (4 parts). Macadam can be purchased locally and is relatively cheap. The lava dust is the stone which is cut away at the chopping when making holili or ushira blocks. It can be purchased very cheaply or for free since it is a decay product and it has very good additive properties.
The ground is used as form when casting the concrete base. After finishing the concrete a part of the ground is dug out and filled with macadam for drainage purpose. On the ground level chopped natural stones, ushira or holili blocks are laid and attached with cement mortar. This creates a stable foundation. On top of this there is a concrete plate reinforced with iron bars and a damp-proof coarse. This is a good stable and damp proof base for bricklaying. Inside the edges the space can be filled up with soil and finished with a layer of gravels. On top of this is a reinforced concrete layer, which constitutes the floor.
The mortar mix is very important as mentioned below (see 5.2.5.1), and the strength of the construction relies on a high-quality mortar mix.
27
5.2.4 Wall Structure
The masonry is positioned on the concrete plate a bit outside the foundation, as shown in figure 24 to the right. This is to prevent the water run-off to affect the foundation negatively (see appendix 4.3). This can be compared to the existing technique to place the masonry in the centre of the concrete plate (see appendix 3.3).
The round-reaching beam made of reinforced concrete is an elementary part of the walling system to hold the
walls together. An alternative way of making this Figure 24: Foundation Detail
beam is to use concrete where the macadam is replaced by lava dust. This is a good way to supplement the traditional concrete mix but to keep the strength of the product at the same time.
The existing technique to add two units of blocks in height above the concrete beam is not necessary in the climate of the Mamba district. It is a traditional way of making the house cool and a good way of building where the climate is hot, but not in the topical district where the climate is rather cool. By constructing the roof directly on the concrete beam the roof is lowered from a height of about 2,70 metres to about 2,40 metres and the indoor climate becomes more desirable. This is also a way to save on building costs since less blocks and cement mortar is used.
5.2.5 Mortar and Concrete
5.2.5.1 Mortar
It is important to mix a mortar with the right proportions of sand and cement. A common way among local builders, to save on the costs of cement, is to use a large part of the sand and only a small amount of cement. This results in a short-lived construction that leads to high costs for maintenance. The typical mix of mortar with one part cement and eight parts of sand is not sufficient for a sustainable construction. A mortar mix of one part of cement and three to four parts of sand is better be used. With this mix the walls are more sustainable and need little or no maintenance.
28
5.2.5.2 Floor
The existing way of constructing a concrete floor is poor, deteriorates fast and cracks may occur. This is visible in figure 25. When adding the thin layer of only cement and water (see appendix 3.3) it has often been some time and the under-lying layer is already deteriorated. It is of great importance the floor is strong because of the wear it is subjected to. A more sustainable solution is
to cast a layer of strong concrete directly on Figure 25: Deteriorated Concrete Floor
the gravel layer (see appendix 4.3).
5.2.5.3 Porch
As mentioned earlier, porches are, for the villagers, an important part of the house and the design is prioritised. To make the construction durable and safe the weak concrete mix of 1:8 with cement and sand should be replaced by a strong mix of 1 part of cement and 3 parts of macadam or lava dust. The horizontal concrete beams on top of the pillars and below the roof structure can be replaced by timber to save on costs. However, the visual expression might be considered degraded by this last
mentioned measure. A typical concrete Figure 26: Concrete Porch can be seen to the right in figure 26.
5.2.6 Roof Construction
In the typical construction used in the district almost all the roof load is led to the centre of the horizontal tie-beam, stressing the beam and impairing the strength. Sustainability can be improved significantly by making small changes in the structure. Figure 27, on the next page, and appendix 4.2 illustrate how this alternative can look like and is a typical Swedish solution where load is transferred towards the wall structure.
For greater strength the nodes should be connected by two parallel pieces of wood and by double struts; one on each side of the beam and rafters (see appendix 4.2 section A – A). This can be compared to the solution in appendix 3.2 section A – A where single struts are used. The amount of wood used is equal in both solutions but by using two
29
parallel struts instead of one single the strength of the structure is significantly improved.
It is important to cover the roof-ridge properly to avoid leakage. By covering the ridge with a overlapping sheet, damages are prevented.
A water run-off system connected to the roof base is a good way to protect the wall from rain and can be constructed of sheet metal. Considering the reduced water impact of the wall, additional costs are negligible.
Figure 27: Proposed Roof Structure
5.2.7 Interior Walls
Today the interior walls are constructed of stone like the external walls. Using a local wood, or making a simple mud wall will save costs of cement, sand, blocks and labour. Simpler interior walls of mud can be treated with cement plaster to improve the aesthetics. This is a satisfactory alternative, as the interior walls of blocks do not fulfil any useful function. Existing interior walls made of blocks have no thermal or other significant functions. If the house is bigger, a load-bearing wall of blocks may be necessary.
30
5.3 Calculations and Drawings
There is little organised planning before a house is built. Drawings and calculations are rarely made. One reason for this is probably that no permits or inquiries are legally required in rural areas in Tanzania. It would be useful though, if the construction work is based on a small scaled planning with calculations and drawings. A calculation of expenditure would mean that builders can estimate an appropriate and affordable size of the house. A risk is always that you start building too large and then realise the house cannot be completed. A sketch of a house might make the builder more open to new improved plans and room compositions, which might otherwise be difficult to see. The drawings may ease the dialogue between workers involved and prevent errors in structures. If the house takes long to build, drawings and cost calculations can ease the work, and be a reminder of the original idea.
31
6 Conclusion
With this study I have had an interesting insight into the housing situation in the Mamba district. I have found various sustainable low cost alternative to the current building design and technology, of which I am convinced that the local builders can benefit from.
The main conclusion for this study is that the traditional mud house is not an adequate housing options and that the need for modern houses in the Mamba district is
extensive. The choice I made, to carry out a field study, proved to be a learning experience. It has given me an important insight in life to see in reality how people live in these poor areas of the world. The housing situation for people in rural areas is worse than I had imagined. I could not predict how primitive the housing is for the majority of the Tanzanian population. It was astonishing to see that so few people have a bed, or a mattress, that a whole family often share one bed and that the kitchen is only made of three stones on the ground. In many respects, it has been difficult to reconcile this with the fact that we are all living in the 21st century.
Tanzania needs to get out of the international aid dependence and to develop
economically to give more people a decent living situation. This has proven to be very complicated. However, short term aid on an individual level is highly needed since so many people live in acute distress. Investing in a sustainable modern low cost house has many benefits and provides long term assistance to the individual families. During my stay in Tanzania I realised how complicated adoptions of transformations can be and what impact different conditions in life may have on the building design and techniques. Changes I consider to be good solutions may be useless and
uninteresting for the local builders, and the final assessment is always on the last-named. The alterations in building technology and design suggested and discussed in this report can be considered as a good basis for the start of a development of the current building design and technology in the Mamba district.
32
7 Bibliography
[1] Utrikespolitiska Institutet, ” Afrika Tanzania”, Landguiden Länder i
Fickformat, 2009. [Online] http://www.landguiden.se/.
[Acc: 2009-01-20]
[2] M. Fitzpatrick, Lonely Planet Tanzania, 4th edition. Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd, 2008.
[3] The Government of Tanzania, Permanent Secretary, Official Online
Gateway of the United Republic of Tanzania, 2009. [Online]
http://www.tanzania.go.tz/poverty.html [Acc. 2009-04-20]
[4] Human Development Report Office, “2008 Statistical Update Tanzania (United Republic of) The Human Development Index – going beyond income”, UNDP Human Development Reports, 2008. [Online]
http://hdrstats.undp.org/2008/countries/country_ fact_sheets/cty_fs_TZA.html [Acc: 2009-02-18]
[5] The Office of Public Affairs, “The World Factbook, Tanzania”, Central
Intelligence Agency, 2009. [Online] https://www.cia.gov/library/
publications/the-world-factbook/geos/tz.html#Econ. [Acc: 2009-04-05]
[6] Sida, “ Varför ger Sverige stöd till Tanzania?”, Sida, Styrelsen för
Internationellt Utvecklingssamarbete, 2005. [Online]
http://www.sida.se/sida/jsp/sida.jsp?d=401&a=1338&searchWords=tanz ania. [Acc: 2009-04-05]
[7] P. Johnsson, J. Boyd and H. McCullum, Kilimanjaro Tanzania, Land
People History, 4th edition. Harare, Zimbabwe: African Publishing group international, 2004.
[8] Chagga Live Museum, Marangu, Tanzania. A small outdoor museum
33
[9] Encyclopedia of the Nations, “Tanzania Housing”, Encyclopedia of the
Nations, 2009. [Online] http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Africa/
Tanzania-HOUSING.html [Acc: 2009-04-20]
[10] Nationalencyklopedin, legally responsible publisher A. Ekman, “Tanzania”, Nationalencyklopedin, 2009. [Online]
http://www.ne.se/sok/tanzania?type=NE. [Acc: 2009-04-20]
[11] Linköpings Universitet, “Nordisk Familjebok, Konversationslexikon och Realencyklopedi, Projekt Runeberg, 2006. [Online]
http://runeberg.org/nfci/0185.html [Acc: 2009-04-20]
[12] National Construction Council (NCC), Baraza la Taifa Ujenzi, 2009. [Online] http://www.ncc.or.tz/. [Acc: 2009-05-17]
[13] National Housing & Building Research Agency, Ministry of Lands and
Human Settlements Development, 2009. [Online]
http://www.nhbra.go.tz/ [Acc: 2009-05-17]
[14] Nationalencyklopedin, legally responsible publisher A. Ekman, “Termiter”, Nationalencyklopedin, 2009. [Online]
http://www.ne.se/kort/termiter# [Acc: 2009-04-20]
[15] The World Bank, “Africa Likely to be Worst Hit by the Financial Crisis”,Countries, Africa, 2009. [Online]
http://go.worldbank.org/PHX3X3LU90 [Acc: 2009-04-25]
Two sources have not been referred to in the report but are people who have an important role in the report content. Their local and technical knowledge has been significant where written sources have been insufficient. They have also expressed views and shared experiences.
• Reines Rydell – Mechanical Engineer, living and operating in Tanzania since 1985.
34
8 Index
B
Building Design 2, 4, 5, 12, 14, 17, 21, 23, 27, 30 Building Material 2, 12, 16, 19, 22, 23, 24 Building Technology 2, 4, 5, 12, 23, 30L
Low Cost Solutions 2, 4, 30
M
Mamba District, the 2, 4, 5, 6, 10, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 23, 24, 26, 30 Modern Housing 2, 4, 5, 13, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24, 30
S
Sustainable Solutions 2, 4, 20, 23, 25, 26, 27, 30T
Tanzania 3, 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 23, 29, 30 Traditional Housing 2, 4, 13, 15, 16, 3035
9 Appendices
Appendix 1 Interview with Reines Rydell Appendix 2 Interview with Walter Mmbando
Appendix 3.1 Modern Block House Plan and Elevations Appendix 3.2 Modern Block House Section and Details Appendix 3.3 Modern Block House Detail
Appendix 4.1.1 House Suggestion 1 Plan and Elevations Appendix 4.1.2 House Suggestion 2 Plan and Elevations Appendix 4.2 House Suggestion Section and Details Appendix 4.3 House Suggestion Detail
Appendix 1
Interview performed on two occasions in March 2009, Mamba district Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. Attending persons: Reines Rydell (R) and Jenny Mattsson (J).
Below is an interview with Reines Rydell, supervisor of this study.
‐ J Can you tell a little about your background and what you did before you came here to the Mamba district and Kitomtom?
‐ R I was born in Småland in a place called Bäckaby on the 30's. After seventh grade, I trained to be a mechanic and worked for some time in Vetlanda. After this I opened a gas station and worked there for some years. In the early 60's my wife and I drove to Pakistan to missionize and to build a vocational school. In total we stayed in Pakistan for 10 years and once back in Sweden I trained to be a mechanical engineer in Katrineholm. Later, I got the opportunity to go to Sudan and build houses for the UN through Begus. I stayed 3 years in Africa at that time and learned a lot about culture and how important it is to be flexible when working in a development country. When I saw an advertisement in a Swedish newspaper telling that SIDA was looking for a Technical Adviser in Moshi, northern Tanzania, I applied for the job and began working in Moshi in January 1988. In Moshi we stayed for 9 years and worked as a construction and maintenance expert for a vocational school.
‐ J How come you ended up here in the Mamba district?
‐ R I got a request from the Pentecostal community here in Kokirie to come and work with them as a missionary. I knew the area from my time in Moshi since it is only about 40 kilometres away. My wife Anita and I bought a plot and started building our house.
‐ J What do you work with here, besides your missionary work?
‐ R Anita and I do a lot of different kind of work here to help people in different ways but it has to do with the buildings is a big part for me. My work is
primarily to build houses and to help orphans. We build houses for people, both stone and block houses and mud houses. My focus is also on building churches, water tanks and energy efficient kitchens for schools. We have a total staff number of 15 people here in Kitomtom, of which around 10 working as carpenters, bricklayers and apprentices in our carpentry workshop. Most of those involved are fully or partially orphaned young people who get an income so that they can survive. Tanzania's government has an idea that children should grow up in their home environment and not in orphanages. But this results in a situation where children and young people are distributed among relatives and siblings have to split. Children and young people are then exploited as free
them to build a good house.
We are producing different kinds of furniture and other things in the workshop such as beds, stools and roof trusses in the carpentry workshop. The workers are also working around in the Mamba district to build houses and help me with transport.
A large part of my work here is to buy trees from the people around here in the district and to get people to plant new ones. People ask me to come and look at their trees and if I decide to buy from them I offer them to come and get 20 plants for free. This is to enable the forest to continue to grow. For some reason is difficult for the people here to think in a long term. They need motivation to plant new trees and realise that it is an investment both for them and for the nature.
‐ J What is your role here in the construction process?
‐ R I am an administrator. I arrange the work and decide who will work at the construction and when. The owner of the house wants to decide how the house will look like himself and often have a lot of ideas.
‐ J Can you tell me how you do when you have decided to help someone to build a house? Do you seek any permission or register with any authority?
‐ R It differs from time to time but usually I visit people and see how miserable they live and I want to help them. People also come to me and asks for help.
No permission is needed to build in these rural areas. The only thing we do is to inform the village headman that we are about to build a house.
‐ J How are the building projects usually financed? Who can afford to build a modern house?
‐ R It is very unusual to be able to pay your own house here in the Mamba district. To have a chance, it is essential to have a paid work and not to have a family to feed. One of the employees we have here in Kitomtom is building his house and only takes 1 000 shillings a week (note: approximately SEK 7) to be able to save money for the house. But it takes several years to be able to afford completing a house. I have lent him a rather large amount of money to speed up the building process since he now living in a mud houses and need a better house.
A typical worker earns U.S. $ 500 per month if they get a jobs the entire month, and a house costs about SEK 20 000. Donations from our friends and family in Sweden often finance building projects.
variations are small from house to house. I usually give them proposals and sketches with my ideas no "real" drawings are made.
‐ J Does the climate have any impact on the construction of buildings here? Is the technology or design affected by the climate? What are the advantages or disadvantages of the climate?
‐ R You can build lower houses here in this district than on lower altitudes. Houses with lower roofs are also warmer. Here on Kilimanjaro the nights and summer months can be cold and reach 10ºC and therefore a warm indoor climate is essential here. Traditionally the height of the rooms is 2,70 metres.
There are two blocks produced in the surroundings of Mamba district; holili and ushira. Holili blocks are suitable in this district since it is absorbing the heat it is subjected to during the days. Natural stone, which is extracted out of the ground in the whole district, also has these absorbing qualities. Ushira blocks are keeping the heat out of the house but is cheaper than holili blocks.
‐ J How do you minimise the costs of a building project?
‐ R We choose local materials, primarily found on the building site such as natural stone, mud and trees. Transports are expensive, why we try to minimise these. The vast majority of the people in the Mamba district still choose holily blocks because they think they have a better durability than natural stone. But my experience tells me that natural stone has a better durability than holili blocks but not as good heat retaining features.
The principal cost in a building is the wall structure. I mix the cement mortar with 1 part of cement and 4 parts of sand but here they often make a weak mix. I try to encourage them to make stronger mixes to improve the durability of the building and convince them that they save on costs this way in the long term. ‐ J What are the advantages with a modern compared to a mud house?
‐ R The main advantage of modern houses is the durability. It lasts for many generations and need little or no maintenance. Mud houses collapse within 10 years. Modern houses are also safer and more agreeable. But still many elderly prefer to live in a mud house and then we help them to built that instead. ‐ J How is the way of thinking about building among the locals people different
from how we think in Sweden? How different attitudes and values? The way they plan a building project?
‐ R Here traditions are very important and they want to preserve them. When someone is to build a house they want to sketch it themselves and make it special but it always ends up in the common design. If I propose another plan
stick to the traditional solutions. In a way, they want to stand out and build individually but they seem not to be able to think innovative.
Here in this district, builders do not plan to the same extent as we do in Sweden. Instead of cost calculations they make estimates to find out the building costs. A typical way of building here is to build until the money runs out and then interrupt the work until more money is gained. Many people starts building on a house but never finish it due to lack of funds. I would prefer that they choose a smaller building to increase the chances that the house can be completed and to save on building costs. For Tanzanians, it is important to look good outwardly. For instance, they build large houses with luxurious porches to make it look good to the neighbours.
